Of murder, rape and tears

A woman burst into tears describing her public humiliation eight years ago.

Her ordeal of Aug 21, 2002 still seemed vivid in her memory.

On Friday she was giving a statement to the commission formed to probe into criminal offence on minorities and the opposition workers after the 2001 elections.

The 35-year old woman narrated her tale of insult, harassment, assault and rape in front of the commission members as well as the press.

She said some hooligans, set upon her by former Rampal upazila BNP president Mizanur Rahman Majnu and one Bashar Kazi, beat her severely on her way from the bus stand.

In the process her cloths got ripped.

At one point the hooligans stripped her off her cloths and dragged into the local BNP office.

They snipped off her hair after another round of beating.

It was at this time that the police arrived.

Majnu and Bashar quickly took the policemen aside and evidently came to an understanding at a nearby tea stall.

In the meantime, the hooligans raped her, one after another.

She told the commission that when her case was in the Bagerhat court, BNP's former MP, MH Selim, alias Silver Selim, wanted to settle the matter.

He even forcibly persuaded her to sign a document to that effect at his residence.

Faced with frequent threats she could not produce witnesses and thus had to transfer her case, to Dhaka at first, and then to Khulna.

The case is currently under trial.

Later, district Awami League president and MP of Bagerhat-4 Mozammel Hossain gave details of an attack on him.

He said on Nov 11, 2001 some armed miscreants including Koshai Abdul Haque (butcher Abdul), Sohel, Shahnewaz and Dollar, led by district Juba Dal organising secretary Mahbubur Rahman, attacked a press conference.

The press conference at the residence of district AL secretary Fakir Mansur at Amlapara was held to protest against the oppression of the BNP-led alliance government.

Fourteen people including eight AL members and six journalists were badly injured, Mozammel said, showing his wounds.

He said a Bagerhat court ruled out the case citing that witnesses would not come forward although the police had submitted a chargesheet.

Hena Mallik, wife of a slain AL leader of Gourambha Union recounted how her husband was killed by the ruling party cadres.

She said her husband was beaten to death while he was fleeing from home.

They tied her up with a tree when she tried to resist them.

The commission, between 10am to 4pm, received 72 written statements which include 12 rape incidents and eight murders.

Probe commission chief, a retired district and sessions' judge, Sahabuddin on Friday took the statements at Bagerhat Circuit House. Two other members of the commission, deputy secretary Monwar Hossain Akhanda and additional deputy inspector general of police Mir Shahidul Islam, as well as Bagerhat-3 MP Syeda Habibun Nahar were present.

Monwar said terrible situation was prevailing in Bagerhat after the 2001 polls.

The government formed the commission at end of 2009 following a High Court order of May 6 that year.